Following the incident, I was promptly arrested by the military police at the base.
Fairy-san had immediately notified Raymond-san.
Thus, the misunderstanding was cleared up.
Now, it was the next day.
I wasn't sure of the exact time.
Probably sometime in the morning.
"I didn't quite follow that. Explain it to me one more time."
A military policeman in his fifties was clutching his head.
I assumed he was someone important within the base's military police.
"I was hungry, so I stole some potatoes and raided the food storage, and that's when I ran into an enemy attack. The enemies were invisible and larger than mountain bears. Based on the claw marks left on the trees, the number of fingers was different. Can I order a katsudon?"
I hadn't eaten breakfast. I was starving.
"Forgive me... A sudden headache and tinnitus are making it impossible to comprehend a word you're saying. Once more..."
How many times had this been now?
He'd been asking me the same thing all night long.
"No, you can hear me just fine, and you definitely understand. Shall I say it again? The potato thief part..."
"LALALA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"
"Look, I've already reported this to Raymond-san, the head of the Lawyer Division."
"Why would you do something so unnecessary?! Now I can't sweep this under the rug!!!"
"Well, they're probably Zork. The enemies, I mean. If we cover up something like a gas explosion and more casualties happen later, it'll be a matter for a military court."
"Guh... h-hurk...! My heart... is pounding...!"
Oh boy, is that angina?
You shouldn't push yourself, sir.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and a soldier burst in, out of breath.
"Captain! We've successfully captured every last one of the officer academy students."
"Hmm. They only lasted a single night? That's a pity."
I thought they'd hold out for at least a full day.
I really needed to rethink the training curriculum.
"That's insane! Eluding a mountain manhunt for an entire night despite Special Forces being involved is absurd!! For that matter, the captain who ordered them to raid the base is insane, too!"
"Well, now. You're underestimating the appetite of a teenager. By the way, where are Melissa and Ren?"
"They're sleeping."
I was glad they hadn't been interrogated all night.
So I was the only one being grilled... Hahaha!
"My head hurts... So that's the true identity of Captain Kamishiro... No wonder the list of precautions was so long..."
He was muttering grievances under his breath.
Come on, man, learn to live a little more easily.
Next, a voice came through the interrogation room's speaker.
"Captain Hassan. Prince Thomas has arrived. He is demanding the handover of Captain Kamishiro!"
"Huh?"
What was with this bizarre turn of events?
Brother-in-law Thomas arrived shortly after.
"Leo, have you been well?"
"I haven't slept, so my brain is a bit fried, but I'm doing great! What brings you here, Brother-in-law?"
"Veronica asked me to come."
"But even if you hadn't come personally..."
"Hahaha! I can't very well stay in the background when my sister's groom is working so hard!"
I don't know what it was.
Important people seemed to have an exceptionally high opinion of me.
I figured the truth probably sat somewhere right in the middle of Military Police Captain Hassan's frustrated assessment and Brother-in-law Thomas's evaluation.
"Now then, first, get some food and take a nap. We'll hold a meeting once you've rested. I'm going to meet with the commanding officer. You, show me the way."
"Yes, sir!"
I parted ways with Thomas there.
The soldier guarding the room led me to the cafeteria.
It was the same cafeteria I'd looted the night before.
The rest of the captured group was already there, eating.
"Yo, Captain! We're already digging in~"
Melissa beckoned me over, so I took the seat next to her.
Ren was sitting across from me.
Ren was eating yakiniku for breakfast.
Melissa had dried horse mackerel, miso soup, and natto.
Nice!
I ordered the same menu as Melissa.
The side of pickled radish was superb. Crunch, crunch.
"Oh, tofu and seaweed. Thank heaven for small mercies..."
"Hey, Leo! The roasted sweet potatoes were great!"
Just as I finished my breakfast, one of the boys said something unnecessary.
I hadn't eaten any yet.
"I... want... potato..."
"Don't go feral on us. Here, have a potato."
He handed me a potato wrapped in aluminum foil.
They must have wrapped them and tossed them into the bonfire.
It was a little charred, but sweet.
So good.
"Uu... uu... this potato is delicious..."
It tasted several times better than a normal meal.
This had to be the flavor of victory.
What was this? My eyes were sweating...
"Don't cry, Captain! Here, I'll give you some candy, too."
Melissa gave me some ramune, the kind toddlers eat. It was sweet.
"It's so good..."
"Master, you truly hated the camp from the bottom of your heart, didn't you...?"
Ren gave me a wry smile and handed me some chocolate on a stick.
"Yeah. I hate being outside."
Delicious.
"So, what happened to the mysterious creature we killed?"
"It sounds like the biologists who came with Prince Thomas are going to dissect it."
"And the base's security?"
"They said it'll be fine because Prince Thomas's Imperial Guard is here. They're also issuing a confinement order for the nearby villages and stationing troops there. But the thing is—the info leaked to the media. Since they can't get in, they're flying drones all over the place."
This was bad.
The secret of the Kawagon was going to be exposed.
While I was panicking by myself, Kevin—wearing an apron—and the girls came rolling in with a cart.
"Everyone, the cookies are ready! You only had potatoes for dinner last night, so I'm sure you're still hungry."
"UOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!"
The boys and girls erupted in cheers.
The starving students swarmed Kevin and the others.
Their domestic skills were through the roof.
I got Kevin to share a few cookies with me, then crawled into a borrowed sleeping bag on the floor of the room I'd been assigned.
Exhaustion must have finally caught up with me, because I passed out instantly.
By the time I woke up, it was evening.
Looking around, the boys were all sprawled out on the floor, sleeping soundly.
They must have been wiped out, too.
As I crawled out of the sleeping bag, one of the boys woke up.
"Oh, Captain. They said once you wake up, take a shower and come to the meeting room. The shower room is down the hall, next to the toilet. I'm going back to sleep."
"Thanks..."
With that, the boy drifted off again.
He basically meant I was filthy and needed to wash up.
In the hallway, a soldier stopped me and handed me a toothbrush and some soap.
"Thanks."
I offered my thanks, hit the head, and then went to the shower room.
Oops, I still had my face paint on.
Once I'd scrubbed my whole body, I found a change of clothes waiting for me.
A reddish-purple Officer Academy Tracksuit...
I doubted it was a deliberate insult. It had to be a coincidence.
After changing into the tracksuit and stepping back into the hall, I was told to drop my military uniform and boots at the laundry room and was given a pair of sandals.
I swapped into the sandals and handed over my dirty clothes.
Apparently, everyone was getting the shower-and-laundry treatment.
...Well, we were pretty gross.
Looking exactly like high schoolers on a school trip, I headed for the meeting room.
Was it really okay for things to be this casual...?